Section E Examples

How important a factor was Walter Cronkite’s broadcast on February 27,
1968 assessing U.S. military progress in Vietnam in shifting American public
opinion against the war?

Cronkite’s broadcast did not vastly
shift American public views against the Vietnam War directly, but was the
beginning of more support for the anti-war movement and less support of
Johnson, therefore less support of the Vietnam War. There is no proof that
there was an immediate shift in the American public opinion of the Vietnam War,
but what the broadcast did in fact change was how the media viewed the war. It
also became a determining factor in President Johnson’s decision not to run for
reelection.

These factors are significant
concerning American public opinion of the war; if the media was showing the
protests in a more positive light, then it would slowly shift people’s opinions
into being more positive about the movement. Secondly, it’s clear that Johnson
thought American public opinion had shifted and this heavily influenced his
decision not to run for reelection. This would have influenced the people’s
opinions to shift as well.